Tim and Mari’s World Tour #18

Republic of Lao

When we got to the Laos border, we thought it was odd that there was three km of "no man’s land" between where we exited China, and where we entered Laos.

It was weird, and we had to take a small truck between the two (so we wouldn’t be tempted to enter illegally). There were gardens between the two borders, but it seemed strange to have such unclaimed space.

Once in Lao, we again set about learning key words, how to count, and from where to catch a bus. (*Note: we can now say thank-you in ten languages). That night we headed as far south as Luang Prabang, which is the old capital city, and is now a UNESCO heritage site. The reason for this, is that there are over 40 wats (Buddhist temples) within one little area. There is also the palace where the king once resided. Currently, he is somewhere in exile, and his house is a museum.

Other than wandering around town in absolute wonder, we decided to spend some time shopping. We visited a local market, and browsed through collections of Laos silk, silver and bags of coarse tobacco. It was a beautiful and confusing market, and we both ended up lost, walking around looking for each other. When we did meet, Mari had new silk, and I had a new tee-shirt and a pack of cigarettes that had been hand rolled for only $0.05. I rationalised that they can’t possibly be bad for you if they cost so little.

From Luang Prabang, We headed south to the capital of Vientiane. Both of these towns are linked by the Mekong River, although now most people take the roads and the river is used only for cargo.

Unfortunately we had spent very little time here as well, but we were trying to get to Nepal as quick as possible, to enjoy the trekking season to its full extent. We both plan to slow right down when we get there.